Have Heels Will Travel: Bologna

Sunday, October 5

BOLOGNA

At 10.03am,

we were out of this gate

of our apartment

in Bologna.

Our plan to walk to the

Piazza Marggiore

was aborted ...

when we came down

to the ground floor

and saw that it was drizzling.

Bryan called a cab.

We are going to the

Bologna train station.

The taxi arrived in a few

minutes. It's good that Bologna

has plenty of cab drivers.

It's a big city.

The 7th largest city

in Italy.

The taxi driver.

327

12

21

Nice

We dropped our bags at the

locker-place at the train station

and had breakfast at this cafe.

The cuppacino is authentic.

Bitterish and milky.

... but the croissants are

not like the ones in France.

The texture is finer and

softer in France.

We really enjoyed

our cuppacino.

We agreed we would come

for another cup when we

return to the station

in the evening to catch

our train to Florence.

During breakfast,

we discussed and wondered

if we could walk to

Piazza Marggiore.

Piazza Marggiore is the

biggest and most important

square in Bologna.

We are going there first.

Bryan googled :

How far by walking from

Bologna train station

to Piazza Marggiore?

He showed me the screen.

21 minutes?

Hahaha.

Sure we can walk.

After 6 hours of walking

around Paris,

21 minutes is -

kindergarten.

We shall walk then.

We went out of the station.

Ah, it has stopped raining.

Good. Good.

We stepped out on to the

pavement and started walking.

Barely had we taken

10 steps when we felt

soft icy-cold drizzle drops.

I hesitated,

"We can't walk there.

It might get heavier."

Hmm, 21 ...

What's with the ice-cold

showers today?

Bryan pointed to a bus-stand

that was just by the road

in front of us.

He checked the information

on the wall of the bus-stand

and said,

"No. 21 is going there."

What?

"We are taking bus No. 21."

Ohh.

Nice.

While waiting for the bus to

arrive, Bryan spoke to an

elderly man who was standing

beside us. It wasn't crowded at

the bus-stand but there were

a handful of people waiting

for the bus.

"Bwon-jor-no,"

Bryan greeted the old man.

"No. 21 goes to Marggiore?"

The senior guy looked him,

and started speaking

in Italian.

Chuckle.

For the next 30 seconds,

I watched the

chicken and duck talk

and tried not to

laugh out loud.

We just had to agak-agak

what he was saying.

Bus 21 is here.

It came within 3 minutes

or so.

At the point of blogging,

I checked the time this

photo was taken.

11.04 am.

Decode :

24

42

21

Double confirmation.

Nice.

We got off at P. Marggiore.

This whole square is

Piazza Marggiore.

This is a really tall door.

Like twice my height.

As we were strolling,

we heard the loud

clanging of bells.

Church bells?

We weren't sure.

It was a Sunday.

We didn't plan to go for mass.

We figured it would be okay.

The bells were still clanging.

This whole square is the layout

of historical buildings

back in the 15th century.

We were hearing the

church bells ...

... it can only be bells

from church ...

... the whole time,

as we were

taking photos around us.

Palazzo del Podesta

is a civic building in Bologna.

Built in 1200.

Functioned as a theatre

in the 16th-18th centuries.

(the building on the left.)

(the bells were still chiming.)

Palazzo Dei Banchi

Basilica Di San Petronio.

The call of the bells

were coming from ...

... this cathedral.

So much for my selfie.

So ...

Bryan and I decided

to visit the church and

to attend mass.

We figured it was

Sunday mass time.

It was strange to hear the bells

loudly calling, the moment

we were in P. Marggiore.

The bells did not stop chiming

even after we entered

the church

No photography inside.

"Got CCTV?"

I whispered.

Bryan whispered back,

"Don't take."

Pause.

I took one.

The mass started at 11.30am.

It was in Italian.

We were happy to have

attended Mass at all.

The bells called us.

After mass, we went for a bite.

Two sets of burgers and

one hotdog.

This is Rebec-ca.

She spoke English and

was attentive to us.

Name of the shop.

After lunch,

... we continued strolling around.

These are the two towers

of Bologna, situated

in the heart of the city.

They were built during the

Middle Ages

(1109 - 1119)

and had military functions

(signaling and defence)

apart from representing

grandeur and social prestige

of the family

that had them built.

Asinelli and Garisenda .

Asinelli is the taller one.

A candy shop.

We are ...

... making our way ...

... back ...

... to the ...

... train station.

Taking photos ...

... right ...

... left ...

... and center.

That shop must be a

meat restaurant.

Imagine ...

... that all ...

... these buildings ...

... and structures ...

... have certainly ...

... stood ...

... the test of time.

These buildings were built

in the 12th - 13th century.

They are still solid,

strong and as sturdy

as ever.

We saw this open space and

went to check it out.

It was strange for us to find

activity tables set far apart

from one another in this space.

Activities that engages in

motor skills and

hand-eye coordination.

This was probably for

the senior citizens.

Back at the station at 3.30pm.

This is the cafe we had our

breakfast this morning.

We are back for our cuppacino.

Train platforms.

Bryan went to get our bags

and the guy recommended

this cafe instead.

We needed to ...

... charge ...

... our handphones.

That's why we are always

in a cafe.

Seat 10 and 11.

Platform 9.

We are on a high speed train.

Takes only 38 minutes

to Florence.

Normal train would have been

1 hour 35 minutes.

Hello, Florence.

This is the view directly out

of the train station.

We arrived before 6pm.

Angle at 11 o'clock ...

... and 9 o'clock.

Bryan was checking which

bus to take.

So, we were gonna take

bus No. 14.

We got a seat towards the

front of the bus.

We sat down.

I noticed two stickers

by my side.

Old man sticker and

an expectant mother sticker.

We were seating on the

privileged seats supposedly

reserved for the elderly

and pregnant women.

There were about 20 over

stops before we reach

our destination.

At each stop, some passengers

got up and some got down.

I felt the bus was filling up.

I leaned over to Bryan

and whispered,

"Nanti orang tua naik,

kita diri, kasi orang tua duduk."

Bryan didnt respond

immediately,

but when he did,

he said,

"You think we're still young?"

Pause.

Seriously,

what's the point of me

carefully speaking in

a secret code,

when he can just blab in

English for all to hear.

Haish.

Wait a minute.

What?

As his words sank in.

Huh.

I've never thought of that.

It did not occur to me.

At all.

Not -- at -- all.

Wait.

Are u saying this old man

sticker is for us?

Bryan continued,

"Don't worry.

See the other side."

I turned to look.

A young boy and girl were

in the old man seat.

Haha.

Okay then.

Before long, the bus stopped

again. I looked out the window

and saw this bright red car

right beside my window.